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novellearts's reviews
1619 reviews
The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I mostly listened to this book while cleaning but occasionally picked up the ebook to read along. It was enjoyable but the story took a different turn than what I was expecting while going into this. This story heavily followed domestic issues and felt like a conflicted love story. At times, it felt very far removed from the way the story originally opened up. Definitely not a bad thing as I still enjoyed it, but was an observation that I made while reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny
Faulty by Nicole Parker
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Coming back now that I’ve read this. This book was crazy but for some reason I liked it? I’m not sure what that says about me but this was entertaining and humorous. It’s fun to read books that seem completely unhinged. I used to have a Furby but it definitely didn’t do what this one does!
I think this is one of the most unserious books that I’ve read. Things definitely get spicy though even though this is incredibly short.
I think this is one of the most unserious books that I’ve read. Things definitely get spicy though even though this is incredibly short.
Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner
1.0
1 star feels harsh but I honestly should've just DNF'd this from the start. I couldn't get into this at all and didn't care for really any aspect of it. It's probably my fault for forcing myself to continue reading.
Nameless Things by Ernest Jensen
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Post-breakup, Mike gets invited to go camping with his friend Wade when a meteor strikes, leaving them and several other campers stranded. They soon discover that with this meteor came these strange worms and they like to bite. As the horror unfolds, it becomes a race to get out of the state park in one piece and find help.
This book wasn’t perfect but the vibes for me were immaculate. Oddly enough, I had a fun time reading this and absolutely devoured this book. I can tell that this had some inspiration from the movie “Tremors” but I didn’t mind that. This book was gory and action-packed with a lot of death.
The character development could’ve been improved but I think it was hard to achieve becausethere was so much death. You could not get attached to any characters because you didn’t know when they would be the next one to go. There were several moments that felt lacking and flat due to this. Even though the character development was lacking and this book felt like a bit like free-for-all, I loved the humor. I always find myself enjoying horror books more when they contain an element of dark humor and this delivered on that for me. It was also nice to see a mixture of characters from other countries and to get some of their slang and humor in the story as well. Imperfections included, this book still has probably been my most enjoyable read of this year so far.
For those of you that may be concerned, there is a dog in this book and the dogtechnically survives. I don’t want to spoil too much, but you will understand what I mean by that when you reach the end. There is also a child in this story and the child has the same outcome as the dog.
Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for sending me an arc!
This book wasn’t perfect but the vibes for me were immaculate. Oddly enough, I had a fun time reading this and absolutely devoured this book. I can tell that this had some inspiration from the movie “Tremors” but I didn’t mind that. This book was gory and action-packed with a lot of death.
The character development could’ve been improved but I think it was hard to achieve because
For those of you that may be concerned, there is a dog in this book and the dog
Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for sending me an arc!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
3.5 rounded down to 3. I generally enjoyed this book but I did have some issues with it.
This book is a short read at just shy of 200 pages but the first 60% of this is very slow. Once you get to around 65-70%, everything starts happening so it's definitely a very slow-burn. My first book that I've read by Agustina Bazterrica was Tender is the Flesh and I absolutely adored that one. This one was also a good read, but wasn't quite as good in my opinion. I think both are worth reading as long as you have the stomach for the content.
I wish the beginning of this book had a bit more context to it with less of an abrupt start. I felt like I got thrown into the thick of things and needed some catching up. Because of this, there was some confusion for me and I had to read quite a bit further to get a grasp on things. Once I had that baseline of understanding, this book was much more enjoyable for me. I believe I would appreciate this story more if I reread it after having completed the entire book.
The story itself was harrowing. You could feel the desperation and determination of the "Unworthy" sisters. The story is very dystopian having taken place after a climate disaster leaving the world in shambles. Being inside the convent walls is not much better and only adult women are allowed entry.
This story brings up a lot of great points for deeper thinking.
Thank you to Netgalley and Scriber for sending me an arc of this book!
This book is a short read at just shy of 200 pages but the first 60% of this is very slow. Once you get to around 65-70%, everything starts happening so it's definitely a very slow-burn. My first book that I've read by Agustina Bazterrica was Tender is the Flesh and I absolutely adored that one. This one was also a good read, but wasn't quite as good in my opinion. I think both are worth reading as long as you have the stomach for the content.
I wish the beginning of this book had a bit more context to it with less of an abrupt start. I felt like I got thrown into the thick of things and needed some catching up. Because of this, there was some confusion for me and I had to read quite a bit further to get a grasp on things. Once I had that baseline of understanding, this book was much more enjoyable for me. I believe I would appreciate this story more if I reread it after having completed the entire book.
The story itself was harrowing. You could feel the desperation and determination of the "Unworthy" sisters. The story is very dystopian having taken place after a climate disaster leaving the world in shambles. Being inside the convent walls is not much better and only adult women are allowed entry.
This story brings up a lot of great points for deeper thinking.
Thank you to Netgalley and Scriber for sending me an arc of this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pregnancy
Nowhere by Allison Gunn
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was spooky. I started reading this at night and it had me creeped out. The atmosphere is fantastic. I was completely immersed and intrigued to find out what was going on throughout this story.
Rachel and her husband Finn are still grieving from the loss of their son when Rachel gets called out to a crime scene in the woods. There is a very mysterious death and children start to go missing.
Later on, Rachel and Finn’s daughter is missing and returns acting strange but we aren’t sure what exactly is wrong with her. There is a lot of mystery behind all of the disappearances and tensions rise as everyone starts to become uneasy.
The characters are extremely unlikable but it doesn’t make the story any less good. In fact, I think it might make the story better. I appreciated the glimpses of real life drama within this story. The characters were incredibly cruel to each other and it made me see how marriage really might be for some.
I was engaged in this story till the very end, and this certainly is not a story where you will have any sort of happy ending. If you love dark, mysterious, scary reads then you will probably love this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.
This book releases on March 25.
Rachel and her husband Finn are still grieving from the loss of their son when Rachel gets called out to a crime scene in the woods. There is a very mysterious death and children start to go missing.
The characters are extremely unlikable but it doesn’t make the story any less good. In fact, I think it might make the story better. I appreciated the glimpses of real life drama within this story. The characters were incredibly cruel to each other and it made me see how marriage really might be for some.
I was engaged in this story till the very end, and this certainly is not a story where you will have any sort of happy ending. If you love dark, mysterious, scary reads then you will probably love this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.
This book releases on March 25.
The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
I just cannot get into this at all.
The Haunting of Room 904 by Erika T. Wurth
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
3.75/5 stars rounded up.
The Haunting of Room 904 is an indigenous paranormal mystery novel. I really loved that it wasn't the classic haunting that you may expect when going into this. I appreciated that this book contained Jewish folklore and showcased an entity that I don't normally feel like I read about. The concept was also very intriguing. The main character, Olivia, is clairvoyant and becomes a well-known paranormal investigator. She gets called out to investigate the Brown Palace where women are dying in room 904, even without having stayed in that room. This story contains a lot of sleuthing and supernatural encounters.
At times, the writing felt a bit juvenile to be listed as "adult." The characters spoke as though the intended audience is YA instead. Not necessarily a bad thing, but personally, I wasn't hoping to see that within this book. I appreciated the cultural diversity within the book and how it showed some of the prejudices that exist.
I think the layout of this book could've been a bit smoother and well-polished but overall it kept me engaged and interested to see where the story ended up.
This is my second book read by this author and I think I'll continue to read more.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
The Haunting of Room 904 is an indigenous paranormal mystery novel. I really loved that it wasn't the classic haunting that you may expect when going into this. I appreciated that this book contained Jewish folklore and showcased an entity that I don't normally feel like I read about. The concept was also very intriguing. The main character, Olivia, is clairvoyant and becomes a well-known paranormal investigator. She gets called out to investigate the Brown Palace where women are dying in room 904, even without having stayed in that room. This story contains a lot of sleuthing and supernatural encounters.
At times, the writing felt a bit juvenile to be listed as "adult." The characters spoke as though the intended audience is YA instead. Not necessarily a bad thing, but personally, I wasn't hoping to see that within this book. I appreciated the cultural diversity within the book and how it showed some of the prejudices that exist.
I think the layout of this book could've been a bit smoother and well-polished but overall it kept me engaged and interested to see where the story ended up.
This is my second book read by this author and I think I'll continue to read more.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas
3.0
Realistically this would be 3.5 stars for me.
This story starts with two sisters, Tasha and Alice, doing a bit of a house swap with their husbands. Tasha and her husband Aaron have two kids and Alice offers to babysit with her husband Kyle. While Tasha and Aaron are freshly on vacation to rekindle their spark, they have a concerning encounter in Venice. Afterwards leading to an even more concerning phone call alerting them to an accident in their house back home leaving Alice in the hospital and Kyle dead. This story spirals into an investigation to find out who did it and why. There are a lot of unknowns and many secrets to be uncovered.
I’m a bit conflicted on this one. I enjoyed the beginning of this book a lot, then towards the middle it lost steam for me and picked back up towards the end. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the multiple POV’s either but I did enjoy the plot twist. I had my strong suspicions on who I thought was the murderer, but I wasn’t sure how it would make sense until I made it to the end of the book. I think I’ve maybe read one other book that took this route of a plot twist, but I still liked it.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ebook. As always, all thoughts are my own.
This story starts with two sisters, Tasha and Alice, doing a bit of a house swap with their husbands. Tasha and her husband Aaron have two kids and Alice offers to babysit with her husband Kyle. While Tasha and Aaron are freshly on vacation to rekindle their spark, they have a concerning encounter in Venice. Afterwards leading to an even more concerning phone call alerting them to an accident in their house back home leaving Alice in the hospital and Kyle dead. This story spirals into an investigation to find out who did it and why. There are a lot of unknowns and many secrets to be uncovered.
I’m a bit conflicted on this one. I enjoyed the beginning of this book a lot, then towards the middle it lost steam for me and picked back up towards the end. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the multiple POV’s either but I did enjoy the plot twist. I had my strong suspicions on who I thought was the murderer, but I wasn’t sure how it would make sense until I made it to the end of the book. I think I’ve maybe read one other book that took this route of a plot twist, but I still liked it.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ebook. As always, all thoughts are my own.
Something in the Walls: A Novel by Daisy Pearce
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book follows a recently graduated child psychologist named Mina who is still grieving the loss of her brother and having second thoughts about her engagement to her fiancé. Mina meets a journalist named Sam at a bereavement group where he proposes that she come with him to help solve a case involving a witch haunting. She agrees to help against her fiancé's wishes and joins Sam. Throughout their investigation, the reader is left unsure of whether or not this is a true haunting or if there is an alternate explanation.
I thought the characters were really well done in this book and I liked Mina a lot. The ending was exciting and the whole book kept me engaged throughout.
This was an extremely atmospheric and unnerving read that has you second guessing what you're reading and what you believe. This book satisfied my craving for a spooky, haunting read and I ended up binge-listening to it.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me access to this audiobook. The narrator, Ana Clements, did a fantastic job with this story.
I thought the characters were really well done in this book and I liked Mina a lot. The ending was exciting and the whole book kept me engaged throughout.
This was an extremely atmospheric and unnerving read that has you second guessing what you're reading and what you believe. This book satisfied my craving for a spooky, haunting read and I ended up binge-listening to it.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me access to this audiobook. The narrator, Ana Clements, did a fantastic job with this story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, and Grief